Thulta'marn Anthosuchus #752

General

Few creatures in Calidis wander down to the island's scant rivers alone, especially in the summer when the rivers dry up to become murky pools. The people who built the Ashen temple carved warnings on its walls of the creature they called Thulta'marn, Mouth of the Mud. The images and their accompanying descriptions depict a monster with immense jaws rising up out of the earth and swallowing a variety of creatures, from deer to wildcats, and even dragons. Curiously, all of these depictions featured symbols similar to that of the lotus flower top the creature's back. Until explorers set out to explore the deeper reaches of the island, these images were dismissed as artistic interpretations of volcanoes or earthquakes. However, in the northern scrubland of Calidis, where the seasonal rivers form still pools for part of the year, thulta'marn can be found hidden just beneath the surface of almost every water hole large enough to hide its presence. The adventurers who found it, or at least those lucky enough to have returned from the trip, warn others that no matter how desperate their thirst may be, when wandering the wilds of the island, beware the blue and red lotus.

Egg

This heavy egg has a lotus bud growing on its surface.

Hatchling

Thulta'marn anthosuchus hatchlings are immediately recognizable for two reasons; first, they develop a symbiotic relationship with buds of blue or red lotus flowers which camouflage them and help the young crocodiles attract hungry water deer, and second, their mother is usually only a few yards away from them at all times. The curious gray crocodiles of Calidis hatch from eggs the size of watermelons and develop a fierce demeanor early in life. Mothers are highly protective of their hatchlings and will fight rival anthosuchus intruders to the death if they must. The hatchlings are curious but large enough to hold their own against most of the island's smaller predators from the moment they hatch, and their strong toothy jaws certainly don't hurt their chances at survival. Mother thulta'marn anthosuchus look after their offspring until they reach a third of their adult size, at which point the hatchlings disperse to find their own territories and face the remaining dangers of the island alone.

Adult

The thulta'marn depicted in the Ashen Temple is thought to be based on a Calidis relative of the lianhua anthosuchus. These crocodiles are the largest of their kind, and were thought to have been long extinct before they were rediscovered on the volcanic island. They thrive in the murky rivers of the dry north of the island as well as the swamps of its the south and east, though the small size of Calidis means that the total population of thulta'marn anthosuchus is restricted to only a few known waterways. Their eggs are exceedingly well-guarded by attentive mothers, and though slow and ungainly on land, in the water almost nothing on the island can best their power. As adults, they can reach nearly fifty feet in length and can snatch young Calidis dragons, though their preferred prey seems to be the large ungulates which roam the island's forests.